Carrying Oddball Weapons

[Vocenoctum]

So, the flail thread is debating the merits of such things, but it got me thinking.

How exactly did folks carry flails? Warhammers? I assume pole arms were not sheathed in any fashion, but what about picks?

 

[Hairfoot]

And what about spiked chains? I mean, really. None of us today is descended from someone who said "none of this sword and spear nonsense for me! I'm taking a fifteen-foot long length of barbed metal to today's battle. No way that's going to wrap around the first thing it touches and leave me unarmed!"

 

[Woas]

In their hands?
How do soldiers carry guns larger than pistols now a days? When they aren't in use, they go in a pile next to your tent. Think of those classic "musket tripods".

 

[jdrakeh]

Things like pikes and halberds were military arms in real life, not the personal accoutrements that they often are in D&D. Ditto horseman's flails and the like. That is, in history, most of D&D's oddball weapons weren't carried by individuals in the course of day to day duties but, rather, were handed out and equipped when a battle was eminent. Until such time, they were stored in armories, on racks.

 

[taferial]

Pole arms tend to be used like a walking staff when not employed in battle, if its an expensive or awkward design its likely to have a leather hood. Battlefield polearms are longer than their civilian counterparts mind you, the english quarterstaff for example was traditionaly 15" as was the halbard. They just got cut down so you can take it in the pub.

Hammers and maces are easily carried from a haft loop or in a tool belt, though spikey verstions are better carried in a hard leather case/ shoe which can be attached to the body in a varity of ways.

Axe's/ Flails/ 2 handers under 5" and the like can be carried with reasonable sucsess, generaly on the back, requireing elaborate leather constructions if you want to draw the weapon quickly. The Celts were notorious for just dragging the their axe's about, always ready for a fight.

Spiked chains, well i always saw em more like a Manriki-gusari with sharpened weights, which can be worn like a belt. If it is some barbed monstrosity id have a lenght of leather to lay the thing on and roll it up like a fire hose.

The amount of stuff a player typicaly carries about is way way over the weight i'd want to tote, and i suspect its the same for most people. I encourage my players to get a weapon roll and tie it to their horse. Most Adventure groups expect to have to use their weapons on a daily basis though, there for they dont want to leave their killatron on a rack if they can help it.

 

[Thanael]

I imagine you can carry an axe in a sheathe, a light mace or flail on your belt. Spears would have to be carried in your hand (on horseback you have a small rest for it beside your foot), javelins in a sort of quiver.

 

[Felnar]

my hatchet came with a sheath that has belt loops on the back. it works quite except the handle often gets in the way when i try to sit. i bet they have the same thing for longer axes (real waraxes didnt have anime sized heads, right?).

in the show 'Seirei no Moribito' all the spears have sheaths and are carried like a staff

i could add this to my flail thread, some people there know a lot of history, but if hollywood counts, i just watched part of the Joan of Arc movie 'The Messenger'. One of the characters had two flails and carried them with the handles hanging in front of his chest and the weights slung over his shoulders, hanging against his back

 

[HellHound]

I wrote a section of the PDF on Spiked Chains about how you store it and carry it.

 

[sniffles]

Things like pikes and halberds were military arms in real life, not the personal accoutrements that they often are in D&D. Ditto horseman's flails and the like. That is, in history, most of D&D's oddball weapons weren't carried by individuals in the course of day to day duties but, rather, were handed out and equipped when a battle was eminent. Until such time, they were stored in armories, on racks.

Precisely.

Even arrows weren't carried around in quivers; military archers transported them in wagons along with all of the other equipment, and stuck them in the ground at their feet during combat.

I have a PC who uses a longspear. I'm often amused by the thought of her hauling it into inns and lugging it through caverns. I just try to put reality out of my head when I think about that.

 

[Thurbane]

I remember in the Slaine the Berserker comic, Slaine comments about how an axe is better than a sword, because it's always ready, and you don't have to unsheath it.